DAY 1: Nairobi to Masai Mara National Reserve - Kenya

This 15-day Kenya to Serengeti & Zanzibar Overland Camping Safari departs from bustling Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, driving south to our first safari destination, Masai Mara Game Reserve.

We travel into Maasai country where these habitual pastoralists can be seen in their bright red robes, herding cattle on the roadside. On the way to our overnight campsite, we pass the town of Narok and hopefully spot some wildlife en route. Our safari camp overlooks the Meguarra hills and a meandering stream below that forms a natural border with the spectacular Masai Mara National Reserve.

The Mara Game Reserve is unfenced, so its wild animals are free to roam around in the surrounding wilderness areas, even entering our safari camp! The local ‘Askari’ keeps a lookout for any unwelcome predators at camp, ensuring your safety.

Included Activity: Masai Mara Wildlife Trip

Lunch & Dinner

DAY 2: Masai Mara - Kenya

Setting off just after sunrise on our morning game drive into Masai Mara Game Reserve we get to see Kenya's top game park at its best!

The Masai Mara is recognized as one of Africa’s best game parks, home to a wide variety of wild animals and birds. We keep an eye open for the Big 5 of Africa - elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion & leopard. Masai Mara, like Tanzania's Serengeti, is most famous for the Annual Wildebeest Migration. If travelling between July and October, we may get to witness the vast herds of over 1 million wildebeest, zebra and Thomson’s gazelle on their annual migration as they cross from the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. This mass of herbivores attracts Africa’s predators, frequently seen making dramatic kills during the Great Migration.

After our exhilarating game drive in Masai Mara, we have the option of visiting one of the Maasai Manyattas in the area. The Manyattas are small, rural settlements where Maasai people still live traditional lifestyles. This evening we sit around the flickering campfire, witnessing a magnificent sunset over the wild plains of Africa.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 3: Masai Mara to Lake Nakuru National Park – Kenya

Today we drive northeast to Lake Nakuru, where we camp on a lovely farm near the capital of the Rift Valley Province, Nakuru. Lake Nakuru lies within a national park, home to wildlife and a variety of birds. The Lake Nakuru National Park was established as a sanctuary to protect the endangered black and white rhino, frequently sighted in this unique Kenyan wilderness area.

Our overnight campsite is run by a non-profit mission group that helps care for orphaned children. Tomorrow we can visit the orphanage to meet the local children and see what the organization is doing to help them. The orphanage provides orphaned children and teenagers with clothing, food, education and a home, giving them much needed support and care.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 4: Lake Nakuru National Park – Kenya

On the morning of day four, we head into Lake Nakuru National Park on a game drive. The early hours of the day are generally the best time to spot predators returning from a wild night out hunting for prey as well as other game waking up to a new day. With a little luck, we may even sight one of the resident leopards!

Our game drive takes us in search of rhinos and other wild animals, including the numerous buffalos, giraffes and antelopes found here. We also keep an eye out for the leopards, which are sometimes spotted, and hippos among other animals.

The Lake Nakuru Park is famous for the huge flocks of flamingoes that can sometimes be seen here. Thousands of lesser and greater flamingos have been seen in the shallow waters of this soda lake in the past. The size of the flamingo flocks varies depending on the water levels and alkalinity, with low water levels attracting vast numbers. At times this large gathering of migratory flamingoes creates a sea of pink, in one of nature's truly amazing sights!

We return to our campsite in the late afternoon for another night of camping out in rural Kenya. You can visit the orphanage in the afternoon, and donate stationery and clothes if you would like to do so.

Included Activity: Game Drive in Lake Nakuru National Park

Optional Activity: Orphanage Visit

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 5: Kisii & Kericho Area – Kenya

Rise and shine for breakfast before we journey to Kisii and Kericho via the scenic tea plantations of Kenya.

Cash crops such as tea and coffee thrive in this equatorial area and these towns serve as the main commercial hubs in the Gusii Highlands of Kenya. We stock up on supplies and get some rest, before travelling into Tanzania tomorrow.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 6: Lake Victoria – Tanzania

We leave game-rich Kenya behind and drive south into Tanzania, also known for its abundant wildlife.

Completing border formalities, we continue through the scenic granite landscapes beside Africa’s largest lake – Lake Victoria. We overnight at a campsite set on the banks of Lake Victoria in the small fishing town of Musoma.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 7: Serengeti National Park - Tanzania

We make a quick pit stop for supplies to see us through the next few days out in the untamed bush, before making our way to the Serengeti National Park.

Entering the Serengeti National Park after lunch we pass through the less-visited western corridor, game viewing en-route to our campsite in the centre of the Serengeti Park. Without any fences surrounding our safari campsite, we are truly in the midst of nature! The Serengeti, meaning “endless plains” in Masai, is famous for its dazzling concentration of game, especially the big cats. Serengeti is also renowned for the Great Migration - an annual migration of millions of wildebeest, zebra and Thomson’s gazelles.

The Serengeti National Park's famous annual migration sees millions of wildebeest, zebra and gazelle stampeding across the plains in search of greener pastures. The unique climate in this region ensures the continuous movement of migrating animals remains unchanged. The abundance of plains game in this area is truly astounding!

Tonight we camp in the untamed bush (no ablutions), falling asleep to the sounds of the wild African bushveld, punctuated by the calls of nearby nocturnal wildlife. We venture back into the Serengeti on an exciting morning game drive tomorrow, in search of the abundant wildlife inhabiting this captivating landscape. The iconic Big 5 of Africa are often sighted so keep an eye out.

Included Activity: Serengeti Trip

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 8: Ngorongoro Crater - Tanzania

Heading into the southern section of this vast Tanzanian game park we witness the endless rolling plains Serengeti is famous for. We drive from Serengeti to Ngorongoro Conservation Area at lunchtime and begin ascending the steep Crater's edge.

Tonight we camp (basic ablutions) on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater where temperatures are lower than on the low-lying plains of Tanzania - bring your winter woollies as the nights can get very chilly.

Included Activity: Ngorongoro Crater Trip in Safari Vehicle

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 9: Ngorongoro Crater to Arusha - Tanzania

Today we dip into the Ngorongoro Crater, the largest unbroken and unflooded caldera in the world. From the rim of the Crater, we enjoy fantastic panoramic views over this vast natural wonder! The Ngorongoro Crater walls are around 600 m high and the crater floor spans 20 km in width.

As we drive into the Crater and explore the plains of its floor, the sheer size of this natural phenomenon becomes all the more striking. Not only is the scale of this crater an impressive sight to behold, but the huge number of wild animals found here is also breathtaking!

The great abundance of wild African animals found within the crater makes for superb game viewing as you drive along the crater floor. Almost every species of African animal is represented in Ngorongoro, where you get the chance to see an incredible concentration of East African mammals, such as elephant, rhino, buffalo, hippo, lion and plain’s game.

After a morning game drive in Ngorongoro Crater, we continue to our next Tanzanian campsite outside Arusha town, where we spend the evening recollecting our exhilarating wildlife experiences in East Africa.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 10: Arusha to Pangani - Tanzania

In the morning we transfer to a different safari truck and drive to the town of Arusha, where we stock up on supplies. Next, we will be travelling further south towards Dar es Salaam, on the coast of Tanzania

The road to Dar es Salaam takes us through the town of Moshi on the lower slopes of magnificent Mount Kilimanjaro – Africa’s highest mountain. Mount Kilimanjaro climbing expeditions, start and end in Moshi, with the town offering great views of its famous peaks. While in Moshi we will hopefully get to admire and photograph this towering mountain’s snow sprinkled summit!

From Moshi, we make our way to our next lovely overnight campsite. The drive to our safari camp takes us through vast sisal plantations surrounded by the Usambara and Pare Mountains. The camp is nestled between the scenic mountains, halfway between Arusha and Dar es Salaam.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 11: Pangani to Dar es Salaam - Tanzania

On day 11 we hit the road again continuing through lush green landscapes dotted with palm trees, as we make our way to Dar es Salaam on the warm East Coast of Africa.

The pace of our drive to the warm Indian Ocean slows as we enter the outskirts of busy Dar es Salaam, taking in the interesting sights and sounds of Dar’s vibrant outer suburbs as we go. Keep an eye out for the brightly coloured shop-fronts decorated with humorous names and slogans.

Arriving in Dar es Salaam we head to our pleasant seaside campsite on the shores of the Indian Ocean and prepare for our trip to Zanzibar Island.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

DAY 12: Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar - Tanzania

This morning we travel to Zanzibar Island where we spend the next three nights. From Dar es Salaam we take a ferry across to Zanzibar, known as the Spice Islands.

Zanzibar has a colourful past once serving as one of the major departure points for most of the explorations into new territories of East Africa. The island was an important link in the old trade route between east and west. New travellers may join us on our exciting Zanzibar Trip.

Included Activity: Zanzibar Trip

Breakfast

Please Note:

Meal costs and extra activities are for your own account in Zanzibar, allowing for flexibility and self-guided exploration on the island. Zanzibar Island hosts a wide selection of restaurants offering a variety of tasty meals. Your trip leader joins you and can help with arranging activities in Zanzibar.

DAYS 13 & 14: Zanzibar Island – Tanzania

Zanzibar Island has a great range of activities to offer visitors, from historical sightseeing to exciting water activities. Zanzibar is one of Africa's top beach destinations, featuring picture-perfect tropical beaches lapped by azure waters.

We explore one of the spice plantations, a colourful and aromatic experience on Zanzibar, which is famous for its exotic spices. We also embark on a relaxing sunset cruise in a traditional dhow sailing vessel during our stay on Zanzibar Island.

Spend some time sightseeing and exploring on your own. The quaint streets of the old Stone Town of Zanzibar reveal traces of the local Arabic history, from Medina-style shops to the impressive palaces that once belonged to powerful Sultans.

Other interesting activities on Zanzibar Island include a day trip to the pristine beaches of Prison Island, to see its giant tortoises. A full day of scuba diving in Nungwe is well worth it, as is snorkelling, island hopping and the experience of fishing in a traditional dhow. There are a variety of restaurants offering a fantastic array of fresh seafood straight from the ocean, with crayfish being a popular speciality. You can mingle with the locals at the seafront market of Forodhani Gardens in Stone Town, where tasty seafood can be bought at bargain prices.

Included Activity: Zanzibar Spice Tour & Dhow Trip

No meals

DAY 15: Zanzibar to Dar es Salaam - Tanzania

Departing from Zanzibar Island in the afternoon we return to the shores of Tanzania feeling rejuvenated, sun-kissed and relaxed.

Our Kenya to Serengeti & Zanzibar Overland Camping Safari arrives back at camp in the late afternoon, or early evening. In Tanzania's Dar es Salaam we exchange addresses and part ways, having just experienced the East African trip of a lifetime!

No meals

Please Note:

The Kenya to Serengeti & Zanzibar Overland Camping Safari begins in Nairobi, Kenya and travels through Kenya and Tanzania before ending in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. This East African Camping Safari departs from Nairobi early on Tuesday morning. Should you wish to explore Nairobi, an earlier arrival should be planned and accommodation can be booked through African Budget Safaris.

This itinerary should be used as a guide only and may vary from day to day depending on road & weather conditions, political situations and group decisions. All prices & Local Payments are subject to change. Due to Tourism Laws in some of the countries we visit, there may be a truck and crew change during the trip.

Please note this tour or a portion of this tour may coincide with a family departure, in which case, children from 6 years old may be included in the tour. Please contact African Budget Safaris to confirm.

This itinerary description is for the 2018 tour departures.

If you would like a 2019 departure, we will clarify any variations in the itinerary before you book. Get in touch today for details.

Optional Extras and Excursions

KENYA:

TANZANIA:

Masai Village Visit

Olduvai Gorge (if time allows)

Zanzibar:

Prison Island Snorkeling Trip

Diving, Snorkeling & Fishing

Motorbike/ Car Hire

Local drivers license / insurance

Child Policy

Please note this tour or a portion of this tour may coincide with a family departure, in which case, children from 6 years old may be included in the tour. Please contact African Budget Safaris to confirm.

Similar length, departing from
Nairobi

Experience Africa's best wildlife havens - Masai Mara in Kenya and Serengeti in Tanzania, combined with top East African game parks and cultural adventures, on this affordable camping and lodge safari.